Perseverance and hard work lead young mom to become Tejano Idol 2016

By César E. López Linares

Defeat was for Veronica Flores nothing more than an impulse to work hard and try again. After having participated in the Tejano Idol contest in 2015 without getting to the top 5, Flores–a mom of two toddlers from Raymondville, TX–took voice lessons, challenged herself and took criticism seriously. This year, her efforts led her to win the Tejano Idol 2016.

“Last year, I wasn’t really sure about what I wanted to do,” she said. “But I’ve always been taught by my parents that you are not always going to win, so you should appreciate the journey. It’s about the journey to get there.” She beat 15 contesters at the finale, held Oct. 16 at Dance Across Texas Hall in Austin.

As part of the first-place price, she received $1,000, as well as the opportunity to record with Freddie Records label and photo and video shooting sessions. Flores, who chose Selena’s hits “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” and “Si Una Vez” to convince the judges, feels proud to have been raised in a family where music has always been present.

“I just love Tejano music,” she expressed. “I grew up listening to it. When I was 9 or 10 years old, my parents would always play Tejano music really loud. We would wake up to hearing bands like Grupo Mayo and Jimmy González.”

With Tejano influences such as Selena and Elida Reyna, but also pop stars like Michael Jackson and Celine Dion, Flores has co-written more than 30 songs with her uncle Jaime Flores, who also participated and finished fifth in this year’s Tejano Idol.

Tejano Idol is an annual contest organized by the Austin Tejano Music Coalition, a non-profit that promotes the genre in Texas, relying in fundraising and even food sales in order to carry through their events.

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